"The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." (Maya Angelou)

Saturday, 22 April 2017

Thoughts in Progress

No sooner had the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced that there would be a general election on June 8th than the political obituary of the Labour Party was quickly drafted up. Pallbearers were contacted (perhaps Blair and Campbell would do the honours?). Flower shops were e-mailed. What size should the wreath be? And just what song or anthem would be appropriate to play as the coffin was being lowered into the ground?

Here we go again

For the third year in a row the British electorate goes to the polls. Fourth, if you live north of the border. Remember the Scottish referendum in 2014? Bet you had already forgotten about that one. Well, Nicole Sturgeon, the Scottish National Party leader, she is calling for another one. If that sentence does not provoke mental – as well as physical, but mainly mental – fatigue in you, then, congratulations! You have finally succeeded in transitioning into a robot. Your future is secured. It is us, mere mortals, who have reason to worry.And yet, and yet, and yet…Although Labour lags well behind the Conservatives in the polls (remember those? They were supposed to be very accurate, until they got Brexit and Trump wrong), May and co. have not had an easy ride. Had you asked me back in July last year if Jeremy Corbyn had any chances of getting Labour’s fortunes back on track, I would had said no. Just like that, a rotund no. After Cameron’s cowardly exit (he and Osborne got us into this Brexit mess and rather than face the music, they both abandoned the ship while it was sinking), May was seen as a safe pair of hands. Even I cast my usual cynicism aside and read Labour’s last rites quietly as soon as Thatcher 2.0 moved into Downing Street. Despite the Brexit-related imbroglio in which Mrs May found herself, she began her premiership with a firm hand.But the honeymoon is over and Theresa knows it. She is the prime minister under whose guard the Chancellor of the Exchequer broke a Tory election pledge on national insurance. She U-turned on that decision. She is the cheerleader for the return of grammar schools. Even her own MPs are against the idea. There has not been much talk of grammar schools recently. She is the leader who went to Washington to meet the new incumbent in the White House. To say that she did not make much of an impression on him or anyone else worldwide would be the understatement of the century. Here is someone who probably thought that by not giving away much about herself she would be able to breeze through the next four years until the general election of 2020. Yet, keeping one’s privacy (good) does not equate to being boring (bad). Theresa May is boring and she has been shown up by someone who has problems creating punchlines for his own jokes. Jeremy Corbyn looks and sounds like a member of the public watching a stand-up show who has suddenly been asked to come on the stage to finish the act of the top comedian on the bill because she or he has been taken ill. Standing in the spotlight and faced with a hundred expectant faces, Mr Corbyn tries out his best jokes, only to see them falling flat on their faces, stepped on and kicked away by a demanding audience.And yet, only two weeks ago, before May made her unexpected announcement, the Labour party put out a set of policies that were electorate-friendly enough. Not too scary, not too loony-left-sounding, just sensible enough that people could see Jeremy Corbyn in a different light, with a new pair of glasses, if you like.Mrs May has been dealt a terrible hand with Brexit. She is the Remain-voting politician who has to negotiate a hard Brexit with the EU. In addition to that, salaries have stagnated and job prospects look grim. From a safe pair of hands ten months ago, she has turned into the grim reaper. Burying recovery, real or potential.Enough has happened in the last year to convince me that the political landscape has grown more unpredictable per day. This works in Corbyn’s favour. I would probably advise him to ditch the “socialist” tag and concentrate on a progressive agenda. It is also the turn for Corbyn’s merry band of followers to stand up and be counted. The Tories are not interested in anyone else but themselves. Their motivation is not just Brexit, but the total annihilation of the Labour party. Victory on 8th June would also send a powerful message to those pesky Scots with their demand for a second referendum. Faced with these grim prospects, Labour supporters have nothing to lose. Go for broke, then. Canvass on every street, knock on every door. Remember, you have nothing to lose.I doubt Jeremy Corbyn will be our next prime minister. That would be taking unpredictability to a whole different level. However, good results in the general election for Labour will make a dent on the Conservative armour. A coalition would be a realistic target and one that Jeremy should pursue. Whatever the outcome, I do not think that the pallbearers will be used just yet.

The nature of politics and politicians in England keeps me walking slowly at the rear of the pack, trying only to catch an occasional glimpse of what is happening up toward the front and to gauge what the trends happen to be at any given moment. As I have noted in the past, I approve of Brexit and I hope the Scots vote to break away this time around -- although, I really do think there should be a minimum, five-year, waiting period between ballots on essentially identical issues.

Interesting post, CiL .... I am curious to see what the election outcome will be in France ....

I so hope you're right. Like you, I held my head in my hands when she announced an election (having insisted she wouldn't) - but she's not a natural campaigner and Jeremy Corbyn is, even if his party is all over the place at the moment. I have to hope that she'll not get the landslide she's expecting - heaven help us all if she does.

Good to see you blogging again, Cuban. As for the future of this country I reserve judgement ... for the moment. I haven't had time to digest all the political ups and downs. I voted to remain and still think it would have been safer to do so. Right now I'm busy trying to decide who should be the Mayor of my area, something I find even worse than Parliamentary matters.

It seems so weird to me, as an American, that the British PM can suddenly call an election. In the states they happen on a regular cycle, but calling one off-cycle is unheard of. I understand May's gamble that the conservatives will solidify their control, but yeah -- given the unreliability of polls in recent elections worldwide, it DOES seem like a bit of a gamble. I certainly sympathize more with Labour but I think Corbyn has provided lousy leadership. I've decided I'm a Lib Dem at heart. But I can't vote yet, so it's all academic. :)

Hi Mario - we are certainly living in interesting times ... and this throws the gauntlet up in the air - which way it lands will be interesting. I know many people down here voted to leave and then said they shouldn't have - once the Brexit vote was known.

I somewhat wish the media would remind us all - that we were the ones that voted ... we followed the exiteers, or not as the case may be - and thus we have laid our own molasses of a trap - I voted to remain.

I'm fed up with soundbites ... and with people believing them and telling me I should too - still people be people ... cheers and good to see a post from you - I look forward to more-to keep us on our toes ... cheers Hilary

Marty has nailed it with "political weirdness". While the world is going to hell in a handbasket, we have politicians who are seemingly focused on their own agendas and in the US, polling numbers!!! I am especially worried about the Korean situation. Now more than ever, the US and its allies need to be on their game, while this powder keg remains so precarious. Priorities!!!

Thank you for explaining the UK situation in such detail and with your insightful perspective.

I plead embarrassing ignorance. It is all so crazy over here that I forget the rest of the world - except for Russia and Syria - have problems of their own. Your government sounds so complicated to me, but I'll bet that is the same for most people concerning ours. However you speak with such clarity concerning your governments state of being, that I wish you were here to give that same clarity to our chaos.

Maybe when I come over I'll be better able to piece some of your facts together

Hello and goodmorning from Norway!Sorry about late answer.Ihave been working so the news about the election has not got me(the way the politicians helds us down..work work work do not think think think)

I agree soo uch with Nature Footstep..they just want to catch votes..they give a shit about the countries best..I have not found one leader that is a good one..What a thing for the young ones..But since I am a opporturnist..I hope the young ones..turns the tables in time..

Thank you for the nice compliment on my blog.I wish you and family a great week coming in

I feel for you. If it's any consolation, I'm an American and we are dealing with a psychotic man-child who wants to nuke-and-be-nuked by another psychotic man-child. I've recently been considering moving just to get out of the way of what is likely to come. So...there's that. :/

Like Mr. Bennett, I would move from the land of 45 and his mad men in a heart beat but for the the fact that I'm an undesirable...I feel your angst and I think your assessment of the situation is correct regarding Mrs. May...Sometimes the best we can hope for is that the worst of the worst don't blow us up or go to war...

The times are certainly interesting... to use an euphemism.So I prefer to say I too like very much your header image. And love Leonard Cohen. I so hope the Multiverse is real and in a parallel universe I'm (or was) one of Cohen's backing vocalists. :)

About Me

Look well to this day for it is life,
the very best of life. In its brief course lie all the realities and truths of existence, the joy of growth, the splendour of action, the glory of power. For yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is only a vision. But today if well-lived makes every yesterday a memory of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day.
(Ancient Sanskrit Poem)